GAZETTE Volume 23, No
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GAZETTE Volume 23, No. 48 • December 14, 2012 • A weekly publication for Library staff King Named Recipient of Gershwin Prize Carole King, who set the 1960s to music with a string of hits for girl groups and soul singers and later ushered in the age of the sensitive singer-songwriter, on Thursday was named recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The writer of such enduring songs as “You’ve Got a Friend,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “It’s Too Late,” “Up on the Roof” and “One Fine Day” will receive the prize in Washington, Cecelia Rogers D.C., next spring in a series of events that Librarian of Congress James H. Billington addresses the International Summit of the Book as panelists Michael F. Suarez and Fenella G. France look on. includes a performance at the Coolidge Auditorium. World Comes to the Library To Explore Past, Future of Book Speaking in the Coolidge Auditorium, By Mark Hartsell Serageldin delivered the keynote at the inaugural International Summit of the he world, Ismail Serageldin said, is Book, a gathering of librarians, publishers, witnessing the final days of the book academics and authors from across the T – at least, in the printed form read- globe designed to explore and promote ers have known and loved for centuries. the importance of the book and reading. That, however, is no reason to fear the Over two days, speakers and panels digital future, Serageldin, the director of considered the past and future of the Egypt’s Bibliotheca Alexandrina, said on book – the impact of new technologies, Dec. 6 in an address at the International the state of national libraries, key copy- Summit of the Book. right issues, and the role of cultural insti- King After all, he asked, does anyone tutions in fostering the book. “Carole King has been one of the lament the loss of the scroll? Formats “We will be celebrating the enduring most influential songwriters of our time,” come and formats go, but the written values of book culture for all people,” Librarian of Congress James H. Billington word maintains its power whether it’s Librarian of Congress James H. Billington said. “For more than five decades, she contained on a clay tablet or an e-reader. said in opening the summit. “Books are has written for and been recorded by “We shouldn’t cry over the demise of guardians of memory, tutors in language, many different types of artists for a wide the codex [the bound, printed volume] pathways to reason and our golden gate range of audiences, communicating with any more than we should cry that great to the royal road of imagination.” beauty and dignity the universal human books read for centuries on scrolls began The summit was conceived by Rep. emotions of love, joy, pain and loss. Her to be read in codex form,” Serageldin said. John B. Larson (D-Conn.), who, along GERSHWIN, continued on page 7 “That’s progress. That’s unstoppable.” SUMMIT, continued on page 6 2 T H E LIBRARY OF CONGRESS GA ZETTE DECEMBER 14, 2012 NOTICES Happy Holidays GAZETTE www.loc.gov/staff/gazette GAYLE OSTERBERG Executive Editor MARK HARTSELL Editor Contributing Editors: Erin Allen, Calendar; Carlin “René” Sayles, Moving On and Length of Service; Lisa Davis, Donated Leave Proofreader: George Thuronyi Design and Production: Ashley Jones PETER BRAESTRUP GAIL FINEBERG JAMES W. McCLUNG Founder Founding Editor Founding Publisher (1990 – 1997) (1990 – 2009) (1990 – 1994) An official publication of the Library of Congress,The Gazette encourages Library managers and staff to submit articles and photographs of general interest. Submissions will be edited to convey the most necessary information. Cecelia Rogers Deadline for submission of articles is 5 p.m. Wednesday, one week prior to publication date. Please submit text in digital Workers assemble a Christmas tree in the Great Hall of the Jefferson Build- form via e-mail ([email protected]) preferably as an attached Microsoft Word file. ing on Monday. The Library will stage a holiday program in the Great Hall on Back issues of The Gazette in print are available in the Public Dec. 19 at 11 a.m. The program will feature a reading of “ ’Twas the Night Affairs Office, LM 105. before Christmas” as well as performances by the Wright Music jazz trio, the LC Chorale, the Little Scholars Child Daycare students and the Library of Electronic archived issues and the a color PDF file of the current Congress Deaf Association. issue are available online at www.loc.gov/staff/gazette. Library of Congress Gazette Washington, DC 20540-1620 Editorial: Mark Hartsell, 7-9194, [email protected] No Gazette Issue on Dec. 28, Jan. 4 Design and production: Ashley Jones, 7-9193, [email protected] The Gazette will not publish on Dec. 28 and Jan. 4 because of the Christmas ISSN 1049-8184 Printed on paper that contains recycled paper by the and New Year’s Day holidays. Boxed advertisements for events occurring Printing Management Section, Office Systems Services the week of Dec. 31 or Jan. 7 should be submitted by 9 a.m. on Dec. 18 for publication in the issue of Dec. 21. Gazette Welcomes Letters from Staff Staff is invited to use the Forum pages for lively and thoughtful debate relevant to Library issues. However, just as other newspa- per editors exercise discretion over which letters to publish and Office of Communications Relocated how to edit them, so do we. In deciding whether or how much to publish, we consider content (including misstatements of fact, The Office of Communications (OC), which includes the Public Affairs Office libel, innuendo, ridicule of individuals or the institution, personal attacks, and redundancy) and length (the limit is 300 words). (PAO), has been temporarily relocated to Room 241 of the Madison Building to Letters must be signed by the author, whose place of work and accommodate renovation work in its regular offices. telephone extension should be included so we can verify author- ship. Letter writers should understand that when they sign their letters and release them to us for publication they are relinquishing privacy. If a letter calls for management response, for example, an explanation of a policy or actions or clarification of fact, we Donated Time will ask for management response.—Ed. The following Library employees have satisfied the eligibility requirements to receive leave donations from other staff members. Contact Lisa Davis at Gazette Deadlines 7-0033. The deadline for editorial copy for the Jan. 11 Gazette is Wednesday, Jan. 2. Elena Armeanu Sarah Lister E-mail editorial copy and letters to the editor Zoelin Brown Alexander LoBianco to [email protected]. To promote events through the Library’s Christy Chason Donald Marcus online calendar (www.loc.gov/loc/events) Jeffrey Gerber Veronica Newman and the Gazette Calendar, e-mail event and contact information to [email protected] by Allene Hayes Mary Oey 9 a.m. Monday of the week of publication. Kenneth Hunter-Hall Donna Williams Boxed announcements should be submitted Nawal Kawar Carole Zimmermann electronically (text files) by 9 a.m. Monday Robin Lancaster the week of publication to [email protected]. DECEMBER 14, 2012 T H E LIBRARY OF CONGRESS GA ZETTE 3 NEWS ‘Cyrus Cylinder’ Sheds Light on Ancient Persia By Hirad Dinavari The Library of Congress recently acquired a three-dimensional copy of an important ancient artifact that some scholars consider to be the first document in history to declare human rights. The copy of the “Cyrus Cylinder” was donated to the Library last month by Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.). The original artifact dates to the reign of Cyrus the Great, the founder and ruler of the ancient Achaeme- nid Persian Empire. In 539 B.C., when the invasion and incorporation of Babylon into the Per- sian Empire was completed, Cyrus the Great put forth a decree etched on the Cyrus Cylinder in the local Babylonian language, an Akkadian cuneiform script, pronouncing himself king of Babylon and paying his respects to Bel (Marduk), the III Evan H. Bergwall Babylonian god. Rep. Cliff Stearns (left) last month presented the Cyrus Cylinder copy to Mary-Jane Hamid Nazari Zadeh, an Iranian-Amer- Deeb and Hirad Dinavari of the Library. ican architect, commissioned an artist exhibition to museums around the world. local language, faiths and traditions to in Iran to make a copy of the cylinder in The handcrafted resin copy of the cyl- be preserved. 2010, when it was exhibited in Tehran, inder now held by the Library is based Here are some excerpts from the cylin- the capital. on photographic images taken from the der translated by experts of ancient Near That same year, the U.S. Congress original artifact. Eastern languages at the British Museum: passed a resolution recognizing the “In modern parlance, we can say that “I am Cyrus, king of the universe, the cultural and historical significance as an artifact the Cyrus Cylinder illustrates great king, the powerful king, king of of Nowruz, the Iranian new year, and how important edicts that defined policy Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king expressing appreciation to Iranian-Amer- changes in a wide region were actually of the four quarters of the world. … icans for their contributions to society. archived 2,500 years ago, to be kept for “My vast troops were marching peace- Zadeh sent cards to some members of posterity,” said Mary-Jane Deeb, chief of ably in Babylon, and the whole of [Sumer] Congress, expressing his thanks. Stearns the African and Middle Eastern Division, and Akkad had nothing to fear. … sent a gracious reply, and the two struck which will hold the cylinder.